NATO denies accreditation to Turkey's oldest newspaper for summit

NATO has denied accreditation to Cumhuriyet, one of Turkey's oldest and most respected newspapers, for the upcoming leaders' summit in Ankara. The decision, communicated via email by NATO's Accreditation unit, rejected the Ankara representatives' requests to cover the event.

The rejection letter stated, "We regret to inform you that your media accreditation request cannot be met this time. I cannot explain the reasons for this final decision." It suggested that the public portions of the meeting could be followed on the NATO website.

Cumhuriyet reported that the majority of media organizations whose accreditation requests were denied are those not aligned with the government. Notably, almost all of the rejected reporters possess official press cards issued by the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communication.

While NATO has declined to comment on the decision, Cumhuriyet learned that participating countries can submit 'reservations' regarding journalists, which NATO may act upon. The newspaper, previously accredited for numerous NATO summits, views this as a significant move against critical media.

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We regret to inform you that your media accreditation request cannot be met this time. I cannot explain the reasons for this final decision.